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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2022 10:04:00 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2022 10:07:14 GMT -8
On the cusp of glory: Bautista’s title permutations in Indonesia Friday, 4 November 2022 With a commanding Race 2 victory, Alvaro Bautista put one hand on the 2022 Championship as he now has an 82-point margin in the Championship Two wins and a second place marked a successful visit to the Circuito San Juan Villicum for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he was able to once again extend his Championship lead in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and put one hand on the 2022 title. The Championship leader left Argentina with an 82-point lead over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and a 98-point lead over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). It means Bautista can win the title next time out in Indonesia as WorldSBK visits the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit for the second time. With 124 points available across the final two rounds, Bautista will be able to clinch the title in Race 1 if he outscores Razgatlioglu by 17 points and Rea by one point as he needs to have a 99-point margin to both Rea and Razgatlioglu (only full length race wins are used in the event of a tie, which currently stands at 12 for Bautista and five for Razgatlioglu with four remaining). This means Bautista will be Champion if: He finishes 1st, and Razgatlioglu finishes eighth or lower He finishes 2nd, and Razgatlioglu finishes 13th or lower If Bautista finishes outside the top two, the Championship goes on to Sunday in Indonesia. Rea will be out of contention if Bautista finishes in the points and ahead of Rea in Race 1. Will Bautista seal his first title in Indonesia?
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2022 10:08:44 GMT -8
Portimao renews agreement with WorldSBK until 2027 Friday, 4 November 2022 A new contract extension ensures the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve remains on the WorldSBK calendar for five more seasons Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) have reached an agreement to keep the WorldSBK Portuguese Round at the Portimao circuit until 2027. The circuit has been part of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship since 2008, with the exception of 2016. Since then, it witnessed some thrilling WorldSBK action over the 14 years, hosting 29 WorldSBK races and countless memories. The Portuguese circuit has been the scene to some memorable WorldSBK moments since it first hosted the Championship back in 2008, from Troy Bayliss’ double win in 2008 in his final round before retirement was, to Ben Spies’ 2009 title, claimed by overhauling Noriyuki Haga in a stunning season finale. More recently, the fierce battling of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea from 2021 hit the headlines, as well as Alvaro Bautista’s superb win in Race 2 of 2022. The 2023 round promises to deliver more of the same and the paddock looks forward to the annual trip to the Algarve until at least 2027. Paulo Pinheiro, AIA CEO said: “We are proud to have retained our association with WorldSBK and to host the Portuguese Round for another five years. As well as being one of the most high-profile events in world motorsport, WorldSBK was the inaugural event at AIA Portimao when we opened our gates for the very first time in 2008, and that makes it an important and special part of our history. The racing is always thrilling, the fans love it and come in their thousands, and it is a great opportunity for us to show off the beautiful Algarve region.” Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director said: “We are delighted to have reached this contract extension of five more seasons with the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The Portuguese Round has always been a key event of the Championship and having it back until 2027 highlights the importance of the venue on the WorldSBK calendar. We look forward to continuing to work with the circuit to keep building on a popular event. It’s always a hit with the fans but also with the riders and the paddock community. The circuit’s spectacular layout always provides some great action and the on-site experience meets the highest standards thanks to the venue’s world-class facilities.”
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2022 10:11:06 GMT -8
Can Ducati conquer the top step in WorldSSP before 2022 ends? Thursday, 3 November 2022 One of the talking points in World Supersport was Ducati’s high-profile return, but can they put the cherry on top of the cake and take a win in their first year back? Two rounds and four races remain in the 2022 FIM Supersport World Championship and whilst the title is guaranteed to go to Yamaha – almost certainly, barring major misfortune, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) – there’s still plenty at stake. One of the major headlines that is yet to be written is “Ducati return to winning ways in WorldSSP”, but will we get that opportunity before the end of the year? They’ve come tantalisingly close on multiple occasions with multiple riders in what has been an impressive comeback season, but they’ve just missed out. Will Mandalika or Phillip Island yield for the Italian manufacturer, who are enjoying a stunning season in the WorldSBK paddock? NEW BEGINNINGS: Ducati’s comeback to WorldSSP from the start Four second places, ten third places across three riders after ten rounds, but still without a win. Ducati can’t get much closer in World Supersport in 2022. Back in the Championship for the first time since 2007 following the evolution of the WorldSSP class to incorporate more manufacturers with a wider variety of motorcycles – the Ducati Panigale V2 is a twin-cylinder 955cc, in comparison to the Triumph Triple 765cc and the Yamaha inline-four 600cc – Ducati have been a popular choice for many teams. Six full-time teams use the bike, of which three are totally new to the class (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team, BARNI Spark Racing Team and the D34G Racing Team), whilst two teams switched to the brand (CM Racing from Yamaha and Orelac Racing VerdNatura from Kawasaki). The other team, Althea Racing, returned to the paddock overall, following their departure from Honda in 2020. 2022 IN REVIEW: how close have they come? So, how has 2022 been so far? The first rider to prominently feature at the front for Ducati was Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), who was on the podium in the second race of the season in third. He backed it up at Assen and took a podium in at least one race per round all the way until the summer break, with a best of second coming at Most. However, by that time, other Ducati teams were coming to the fore, with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) battling to a hard-fought third at Donington Park. After the summer break and it was clear that with further development due to the data acquired in races that Ducati teams were starting to really make their presence felt; Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) took pole at Magny-Cours but a mechanical issue in Race 1 and a crash in Race 2 took him out of winning contention. More misfortune came in Barcelona and no Ducati managed to take a podium, whilst Triumph’s Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) was making big gains. At the next round, he took victory in Race 1 at Portimao, the first ever win for the iconic British marque. With the European season done and dusted, the paddock leapt to South America and Ducati looked extremely strong. In the battle for a second career win, De Rosa was back at the front and in the mix, leading into the final lap, only for Aegerter and Yamaha to spoil the party with a pass at Turn 8. In Race 2, Aegerter battled with fellow Yamaha title contender Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) on the last lap and pushed him wide at Turn 16, giving Caricasulo an opportunity to take second. Three Ducati riders have achieved a second-place finish, so surely one step away will be made before the end of the year? BLEAK FUTURE OR PROSPEROUS FORTUNES: Mandalika and Phillip Island have the answer After looking back at what has been an impressive season of racing in WorldSSP, Ducati are on the cusp of their first win since Gianluca Nannelli at Imola in 2005. However, they have one disadvantage: the two remaining circuits are circuits that they’ll have never been to. With Mandalika, that’s off-set by the fact that the circuit is very new, so data is of a premium for all teams. The usual contenders, including the aforementioned podium-achieving Ducati teams, will make their way to the front and whilst the likes of Aegerter and Ten Kate Yamaha may have an advantage, it should still be pretty equal – don’t forget, De Rosa beat Aegerter in Race 1’s head-to-head in 2021. However, for Phillip Island, more teams will be up to speed, even if the circuit has been away for two years. Of the top 20 riders in WorldSSP, eight have been to Phillip Island but contrary to that, only three will have had experience on their current bike at the track. It will be slightly more difficult, considering they have no data at all at the track in WorldSSP-spec, but perhaps the lack of experience for a lot of riders at the track on a WorldSSP bike may help. CONCLUDING: WorldSSP’s ‘Next Generation’ has been a success Despite Ducati not able to take that elusive first win in 15 years, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the new-look to World Supersport and its immediate future has been a success. Yamaha may still be the cream of the crop, but more teams and manufacturers are right behind and each round, making further gains. Four manufacturers have been able to take podiums, whilst both the ‘traditional’ WorldSSP motorcycle of Yamaha’s R6 and the ‘next generation’ of Triumph’s 765cc have tasted victory – impressive for Triumph, with Simon Buckmaster’s PTR team being the only team running the bike. On six occasions, the top seven at the end of the race has been made up of five different manufacturers – including in the last two races in Argentina. However, one of the season highlights came at Most in Race 2, when all five manufacturers locked out the top five places. The last time it had happened before that was in 2007 at Monza, when Kenan Sofuoglu took victory on the way to his first title; 15 years later, his nephew Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took fifth at the flag at Most. Those two races are the only times there’s been five manufacturers inside the top five, but don’t be surprised if we see it more often in the not-too-distant future.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 7, 2022 11:08:28 GMT -8
After Pecco now it's up to Alvaro! In Mandalika the Spaniard has the first world championship match ball at his disposal, while Toprak seems to be the only one able to still be able to mess up the plans of the Spaniard.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 7, 2022 11:11:22 GMT -8
match-point for Bautista in Indonesia as WorldSBK’s 900th race beckons Monday, 7 November 2022 History awaits at every corner in one of the most tropical race circuit settings anywhere in the world, but how will it all play out in Indonesia? Two rounds to go in the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and the title is on the line in terms of the title race. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) can take the title in Race 1 – WorldSBK’s 900th race – at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit if results go his way, although it’s never that straight forward. The tropical island of Lombok welcomes WorldSBK for a second season in what is one of the most picturesque settings of the season. With it being southeast Asia, a rain shower is never far away and if last year’s action is anything to go by, the Pirelli Indonesian Round may well be one of the most dramatic of 2022. GAME, SET, MATCH (POINT): Bautista is Champion in Race 1 if… It’s the first match-point for Alvaro Bautista as the Spaniard heads for history in Indonesia. WorldSBK’s 900th race is the first opportunity for Bautista to clinch the title if he outscores Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) by 17 points and if he outscores Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) by one point. In short, Bautista must finish first or second: if he finishes first, Razgatlioglu must be seventh or higher, whilst if he’s second, Toprak can afford to come home no lower than 12th. If he finishes ahead of Rea, that’s enough to rule Rea out of mathematical contention. Bautista’s never been aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R at Mandalika, but that didn’t faze him on his way to wins at Estoril and Most, where it was the same story. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi can mathematically clinch fourth overall this weekend, but he’ll aim to continue his consistency into Indonesia, where his best result in 2021 was 12th. OUT TO FIGHT: Razgatlioglu hopes to take the title fight Down Under It's an uphill task but Razgatlioglu won’t give up on the title race just because the points are saying so; the very minimum he’ll hope to do is take the title fight to Australia and to do that, he must whittle the current 82-point deficit to less than 62 come the end of the round. In motorcycle racing, you never know what can happen; technical issues, bad weather or being caught up in someone else’s accident are just some of the external factors that have impacted this year’s title race for all three title contenders. Toprak has stated that Mandalika will be strong for him and Yamaha as well as for Rea and Kawasaki so if the weather holds firm, perhaps there will be a twist. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) continues his wait for a return to the top five which dates back to Estoril, but can he get himself in the mix to help out teammate Toprak? CAN REA END THE WIN DROUGHT? A double winner on Lombok in 2021 In the green corner, title chances are hanging by a thread for Jonathan Rea; it remains mathematical, but it’d have to be the worst of bad luck for his opponents as well as domination to keep him in it. Realistically, it looks like being another year with #65 but that doesn’t mean he’ll be pushing any less. Nothing is ever left out on the circuit and the six-time World Champion is all too aware of his lingering win drought which goes all the way back to Estoril. It’s the longest of his spell at Kawasaki and it’s Kawasaki’s longest since Tom Sykes’ first win at the Nurburgring in 2011 ended their wait from Chris Walker’s wonderful wet win at Assen in 2006. Kawasaki and Rea were double winners at Mandalika in 2021 and whilst this year, the stakes are different, they aim for more of the same. On the other side of the garage, teammate Alex Lowes had a strong Argentina and has been a constant top five finisher in the second half of 2022, although he’s never raced at Mandalika before. HONDA VS BMW: the vital fight for fourth in the manufacturers’ standings The fight is alive for the fourth overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship standings; just three points separate Honda from BMW and so far, the Japanese manufacturer have the advantage. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) is eighth in the Championship standings, just one place ahead of Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), whilst Lecuona’s teammate Xavi Vierge is enjoying some strong races. For Honda’s rookie duo, it’ll be back to basics this weekend as both learn a new track in terms of the Mandalika layout. Last year, it was a double top ten for Honda in the races, but they’ll hope to be making gains, particularly if they’re able to bring their upgrades regarding their super concessions to Mandalika, something that seemed likely when discussed in Argentina. Sitting in ninth in the Championship and just 17 points behind Lecuona is Scott Redding, with the BMW rider entering the final two rounds of what has been a learning first year aboard the M1000RR. Redding’s adaptation to the inline four-cylinder machine took some getting used to but podiums have been achieved and he’ll aim for more in Indonesia, where he was third and second in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively in 2021, albeit for Ducati. On the other side of the garage, positive memories emit for Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Dutchman keen to replicate his Mandalika rostrum of last year to take a first podium of the 2022 season. For BMW, they’ll be keen that both riders can get on terms with Honda in the last two rounds to remain in fourth overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship standings. INDEPENDENT CROWN: will Bassani complete a memorable season as Best Independent? It could be all over when the chequered flag flies in Indonesia in terms of the Best Independent Rider of 2022, as Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) sports a 94-point lead over Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). A podium in San Juan after a big battle with Rea for second place in Race 1 and a race leader at Mandalika last year, Bassani’s current form and circuit form are good. Gerloff enters his two rounds in Yamaha blue with optimism as he chases a consistent end to his season. He’s in a battle with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), with Baz just nine points behind Gerloff in the battle for 11th overall and runner-up in the Independent standings. Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) is next up in 13th ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), both of whom make their Superbike debuts at Mandalika; Oettl was 12th and 9th in WorldSSP there last year. With Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) not competing in non-European rounds and Luca Bernardi returning to WorldSSP action, Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) will hope to leap up the order, as he’s just four points behind Michael van der Mark. Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) hasn’t raced at Mandalika before so will hope for points, whilst Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) hopes for a good result at the circuit where he achieved a best finish at last year with seventh in Race 2. Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) and teammate Leandro Mercado aim for points in Indonesia, where Mercado was up in sixth last year in Race 2 before crashing. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) continues seeking first points of 2022 but this time at a track where he made his WorldSBK debut 12 months ago, whilst Kyle Smith (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) will make his WorldSBK debut for the Pedercini Kawasaki outfit.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 8, 2022 7:39:16 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 4:37:31 GMT -8
Track temp earlier was 62 degrees and the whole track was re-surfaced ten days ago. You can still smell the oils in the asphalt and it looks very shiney indeed. Could be another very interesting weekend at Mandalika !!
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 5:51:12 GMT -8
OUTSPOKEN AHEAD OF MANDALIKA: "There’s no pressure or stress for me, maybe for Alvaro" Thursday, 10 November 2022 Is the title pressure mounting? Can Rea repeat 2021 Indonesia results? Honda confirm upgrade… It’s the penultimate round of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season and the title is on the line this weekend. Even though a crowning moment could take place in both WorldSBK and WorldSSP, there was plenty of talk about bike upgrades at Honda, pressure talk amongst the titanic trio and more gossip from Thursday media debriefs. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I don’t feel nervous… it doesn’t matter if it’s here or Australia” “Sincerely, I don’t feel nervous. I’m happy to come back here; I love the layout of the track and with the fans, they love the racing. It’ll be our first time with Ducati, so we have a lot of work to do, especially on Friday for the reference, setup and gearing. We have to work like we did at San Juan. We’ll need to put some rubber on the track too; I think it will be a busy weekend for me. I don’t have time to think about the Championship or match-point; I think it’s better to think about the real problems we have and to work as best as possible. In Valencia, Ducati won the Riders’ Championship in MotoGP™ so it’d be nice to make it a double. It doesn’t matter whether it’s here or Australia, the important thing is that we get it.” Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK): “There’s no pressure or stress for me, maybe for Alvaro” “I’m very happy to come back here because I have good motivation and good memories from last year when we took the title; it was an unbelievable day. Now, we come back for the win as the Championship isn’t easy for me. We’ll just focus on doing a good race. For the Championship, we have a big gap but I’m not waiting for Bautista to crash. My goal is to try for three wins. There’s no pressure or stress for me; maybe for Alvaro, it’s starting as he is close to the Championship. In my opinion, he won’t take risks this weekend.” Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “We’ve improved since last year, the problem is everyone else has too” “We’ll try to bring last year’s positive vibes here this year. We’ve improved since last year, the problem is everyone else has improved too. We need to see where we stack up tomorrow; with the track being resurfaced, Friday will be about understanding conditions, getting laps and cleaning the track, not making big setup calls. I’m empty-headed about any goal this weekend; thinking about the Championship is a bit ridiculous now. Alvaro has done an incredible job. I’ll focus on myself and I’m going out to do the best I can this weekend. It’s nice for Tom Sykes to come back to the Championship as he’s an incredible competitor, but in terms of development, he’s such a unique rider that there’s not much resemblance to how I ride or develop the bike. I’ll continue working with my team and especially Alex and our crews, to develop the ZX-10RR through the winter. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “We have something new… fighting for a podium is the target” “It’s the last new track for me this year but I don’t know what to expect! Everyone tells me the weather changes a lot. The track looks good and fun but a bit dirty, so we’ll try to learn quick so that we can fight at the front. It’s true that in Argentina, I felt something special. The bike was almost the same, but I could go very fast; I’ll try to repeat this, and I think we have the level for the podium. I think we can do the last races very well. We have something new on the bike, it’s the same frame but something to help with the next stop. Trying to fight for the podium is the target.” Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “The upgrade will help us in order to make another step” “I think after Magny-Cours, we’ve had some good progression and I felt good with the bike and competitive. I started to enjoy the riding. The upgrade will help us in order to make another step; everything is more or less the same, we just have more adjustment, so we will try to take the maximum capacity from our package and see if we can make a step forward to fight as strong as possible.” Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It’s not been easy to get back up to speed” “It’s not been easy to get back up to speed. The speed was not that bad but getting everything together and being as consistent as before is quite tough if you’ve been out for a long time. We made progress, stayed calm. I think in the Superpole Race in Argentina, we had a really good pace. I was a lot faster than I was before. In Race 2, I was OK. I was quite fast, and it was one step forward, but we have to stay calm and make sure we finish in the top ten.” Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) “I have the same offer with MIE Honda” “I have the same offer with the same team, with MIE Honda, but I am still thinking about whether to stay or not. It looks like it’ll be interesting next year. I’m very happy to stay here in the paddock and I try to keep pushing and to talk more with the team to see what the best way is for me is for next year. I want to be competitive. I want to show at least something in the front of the field, not to stay like this; now, we’re still struggling because we don’t have any new parts to improve the bike. We try to just use the experience I have, and the team gives their best. We are on the limit at the moment to go faster. I hope, next year, we have a different package so we can have better results, or similar, to the factory bike. A factory rider finished on the podium but it’s mostly top seven, top eight they’re fighting for. I hope I can have this kind of journey.” Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha): “I’ll test with the GRT Yamaha team in December” “The season was nearly perfect. We had only one weekend where we didn’t score any points, and in the other weekends we were nearly always on the podium. Looking forward to next year. I will go testing with the GRT Yamaha team in December at Jerez. Looking forward to getting to know the team and the bike and then, of course, see where I will stay. My goal is to get as fast as possible and improve every race.”
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 5:55:00 GMT -8
all the stories, emotion and memories of WorldSBK’s road to Race 900 Wednesday, 9 November 2022 WorldSBK’s history will grow stronger as the 900th race looms, as more iconic moments await Two rounds to go, one Champion to be crowned and a milestone achievement when lights go out for Race 1 in Indonesia; the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues to hurtle towards history and a special treat awaits in the very next race. From a cold April in the UK for Race 1 back in 1988 to a hot and humid Indonesia, the 900th race in WorldSBK is coming up. 899 races down so far, there’ve been timeless classics between, with final lap thrillers, epic comebacks and emotional journeys making for some of the greatest sporting moments in history. From the tear-jerking memories to the hardest of hard-working stories, we look back at our history and those iconic spectacles that have helped shape the sport as we enjoy it today. THE EARLY YEARS: humble beginnings in WorldSBK Davide Tardozzi and Marco Lucchinelli – the 1981 500cc World Champion – were the first two winners on a misty April day at Donington Park in 1988, the first round of World Superbike action. From those humble beginnings, WorldSBK welcomed history and close finishes, with a stunning showdown at the end of the year seeing Fred Merkel snatch the lead of the Championship at the last round to be crowned the first Champion; he doubled up in 1989 in similar fashion but come the start of the 1990s, a new name rose to fame. Raymond Roche dominated in 1990 to take the title; he finished as runner-up in 1991 and 1992, as Doug Polen came to power. By 1993, 100 races had already been run but what became known as the “first golden era” was soon upon us. American Scott Russell and Kawasaki had a season-long fight with Ducati’s new star Carl Fogarty, in which he’d fend-off the British rider all the way to the end. However, their rivalry was only just beginning and in 1994, ‘Foggy’ became a global star as he took the title; his no-nonsense attitude paired with his on-track tenacity making him one of Britain’s biggest sporting stars of the 1990s. With that, WorldSBK events were rammed solid with thousands of fans, particularly in the UK, Italy and America. He eased to the 1995 title but a switch to Honda in 1996 didn’t work out. THE FIRST “GOLDEN ERA”: Fogarty, Corser, Kocinski, Edwards, Slight, Chili Despite the move to Honda in 1996, the season saw some of the most incredible racing ever seen; Fogarty’s first win for Honda at the Hockenheimring in Race 2 against teammate Aaron Slight is still one of the best races, whilst Frankie Chili’s stunning victory at Monza in Race 2 saw him come from fourth to first in just half a lap to win at home. Then, a three-way duel at Assen in Race 2 saw Fogarty prevail ahead of eventual Champion Troy Corser and rookie John Kocinski, who’d go on to take the title a year later, when Fogarty was back at Ducati. Stunning battles continued into 1998 and the British star took the title back in 1998, although a famous clash with Chili at Assen went down as one of WorldSBK’s most iconic moments. A historic fourth title was wrapped up in 1999 for Fogarty but a career-ending accident at Phillip Island in 2000 meant that WorldSBK was a land of opportunity. With ‘King Carl’ out for good, Colin Edwards took charge after being a race winner previously; he and Noriyuki Haga had a year-long fight which went the American’s way, although Fogarty’s replacement had also been decided: Australian Troy Bayliss. The 1999 BSB champion was an instant success with race wins, enough to spring him into 2001 as one of the favourites. He took the crown with a round to spare, the first of three (along with 2006 and 2008). However, both Edwards and Bayliss are remembered for their titanic season showdown at Imola in 2002. Edwards came from over 50 points back in the last nine races, winning them all (including the spectacular last lap battle at Imola in Race 2) to take a second title. With both moving onto MotoGP™ at the end of the year, Neil Hodgson became World Champion, winning the first nine races and taking the title. NEW FACES, RETURNING NAMES: a blend in the 2000s As Hodgson moved to MotoGP™ in 2004, WorldSBK was another unpredictable affair. A four-way fight between Toseland, teammate (and #1 within Ducati’s factory team) Regis Laconi, the rookie Ten Kate Honda team with reigning WorldSSP Champion Chris Vermeulen and stalwart Frankie Chili gave plenty of twists and turns. However, overhauling his teammate in the final round of the year to take the title as an underdog, Toseland became the youngest-ever WorldSBK Champion at 23, something he holds to this day. In 2005, it was the all-conquering Suzuki of Alstare Racing that took control with Troy Corser taking a second title, nine years after his first. Bayliss was back in 2006 and took a dominant crown, whilst in 2007, it was Toseland who came out on top, this time for Honda and the Independent Ten Kate Racing team. A double at Brands Hatch gave a first of his career and a last win too, in what would be one of the most iconic years of racing. In 2008, Bayliss signed-off his career in style, becoming a triple Champion at Magny-Cours before ending with a Portimao double. 2009 rookie Ben Spies took the crown, with Haga denied again, whilst in 2010, it was the ‘The Roman Emperor’; Max Biaggi took honours, whilst 2010 also gave the closest race finish of all-time at Phillip Island, as Leon Haslam took a first win by 0.004s ahead of Michel Fabrizio. Carlos Checa dominated to become the first Spanish Champion in 2011, the most recent for Ducati, whilst in 2012, the closeness of the Championship was showcased by the closest finishing margin ever, Biaggi took a second title by half a point over Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes, who was Champion in 2013. THE MODERN ERA: classics continue and a new King reigns In 2014, Aprilia took their last Championship to-date with Sylvain Guintoli, before the Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki era took hold; for six years running, Jonathan Rea was unstoppable as he took title after title, setting records and becoming the most successful WorldSBK rider of all time. The first of more than 100 wins in green came in his first race for them at Phillip Island, whilst a fierce rivalry with Chaz Davies had started, the two coming to blows famously at Sepang in 2015 and going head-to-head for the next three years. In 2019, WorldSBK celebrated its 800th race, where a star was born. Coming from 16th on the grid at Magny-Cours and closing down race leader Rea by a second on the last lap, it was Turkish delight for Toprak Razgatlioglu, who took to the top step for the first time. 2019 is also remembered for the rise and fall of rookie Alvaro Bautista, who won the first 11 races before crashes in the middle of the year saw Rea take an emphatic fifth straight title, the first rider to achieve this in WorldSBK. He made it six in 2020, although it was Razgatlioglu on his Yamaha debut who won a Phillip Island thriller, heading the second closest podium of all-time. With a full calendar returning after the pandemic-hit 2020 and a second full year at factory Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu ended Rea and Kawasaki’s reign with a stunning title. After some of the hardest racing ever seen between the two, they knocked spots off each other all year, with no quarter asked or given. On a rainy weekend in Indonesia, the kid with a dream triumphed in one of the greatest seasons of the sport’s history, whilst in 2022, Razgatlioglu’s reign looks set to end with Alvaro Bautista looking certain, in his comeback year to Ducati, to take the title back to Bologna. He can become Champion in the 900th race, where he could become the 19th different WorldSBK Champion. So, amongst the story of WorldSBK, there’s been some 78 different winners across eight different manufacturers; nine constructors have stood on the podium, with 127 riders having stood on the rostrum in the 35 seasons of racing. WorldSBK has raced at 51 circuits in 25 countries and across five continents, writing history and breaking records along the way. Iconic races such as Frankie Chili’s last win at Misano in Race 2 of 2004, Chris Walker’s stunning last to first win at Assen in 2006 and the famous wildcard wins of the early 2000s – most notable Neil Hodgson’s at Donington Park in Race 2, 2000, as well as Shane Byrne’s stunning double at Brands Hatch in 2003 – are all part of our history. As the paddock has changed and evolved, the constant of thrilling racing and unrivalled drama has remained. As race 900 promises more iconic action, we say ‘cheers’ to our history and raise a glass to our future: the next 100 to reach 1000 has begun.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 5:56:30 GMT -8
How can Ducati be crowned Manufacturers’ Champions in Indonesia? Wednesday, 9 November 2022 The Riders’ Championship battle has been brewing all season long, and, alongside it, so has the Manufacturers’ Championship As the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship nears a conclusion after a thrilling fight all season long, attention turns to who will claim the glory this season. All three Championships are up for grabs as WorldSBK heads to Indonesia and Australia to end the season with a double header with Ducati leading all three titles as it stands. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is leading the Riders’ Championship and Ducati are top of the Manufacturers’ Championship with a chance to clinch both in Indonesia. Alongside the fierce Riders’ Championship battle has been an equally as dramatic Manufacturers’ Championship between Ducati, reigning Champions Yamaha and Kawasaki as they all seek to claim glory in 2022 after an incredible season. Heading into the Pirelli Indonesian Round, Ducati lead the way on 538 points with 124 available across the final two rounds; with the highest-scoring rider from each manufacturer in each race contributing to the total score. With a 65-point lead over Yamaha in the standings with two rounds to go, Ducati will be able to clinch the title in Indonesia if they finish the round 62 points or more clear of Yamaha and Kawasaki. Both Japanese brands are able to stop Ducati taking the title this year, but Yamaha would need to overhaul a 62-point deficit and it’s a 101-point deficit for Kawasaki across the final six races of the season. To win it in Indonesia, Ducati would be able to lose three points or fewer to Yamaha in the three races and they can lose up to 39 points compared to Kawasaki.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 5:57:39 GMT -8
Mandalika undergoes resurfacing and improvement works Tuesday, 8 November 2022 After making its debut on the WorldSBK calendar in 2021, the Indonesian venue had more works completed As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship prepares to head to Indonesia for the Pirelli Indonesian Round, details about further works completed at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit have been revealed. The circuit has been extensively resurfaced following WorldSBK’s first visit there in 2021 and MotoGP™ heading there this season while more works have been completed ahead of WorldSBK’s second round there. Several different aspects of the circuit have been worked on following the MotoGP™ visit in March to further enhance the circuit and improve different areas. At Turn 5 and Turn 6, kerbs have been amended with drainage upgraded and this was the first phase of the works to be completed. Some run-off areas have been extended and then, after this, the resurfacing work got underway at the 4.3km circuit. More than 5,000 tonnes of asphalt make up the Mandalika circuit with more than 200 people involved in the works, with the works designed to improve the flatness of the circuit as well as water drainage; aiming to avoid standing water on the circuit in the event of heavy rainfall. In order to ensure the best possible job, the circuit was milled, in sections, before being checked with a laser scan to help understand the work required in each section. More than 56,000 sqm of track area were milled during the works. The works were led by Italian company Dromo and track designer Jarno Zaffelli. In order to find the perfect asphalt for the circuit, there were several productions of asphalt mix were made before these mixes went into trial to confirm the formulation of the asphalt. The repaving work took place over six days due to technical issues, with breaks on days two and five during the resurfacing period. To complete the resurfacing work, a production plant was constructed on site that was capable of producing more than 240 tonnes an hour of the asphalt mix used. 16 different machines were used throughout the works for the various processes. There were four asphalt pavers that were complete with levelers for the resurfacing area, ten tandem rollers as well as two milling machines which featured automated machine controls. These all helped lay the asphalt, named ‘Rinjani’ after the volcano on Lombok island where the Mandalika circuit is, to be put down to complete the works; aggregates for the asphalt were also sourced from Rinjani to increase the sustainability of the works.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 5:58:44 GMT -8
2013 Champion Tom Sykes returns to WorldSBK with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for 2023 After departing the paddock at the end of the 2021 campaign, Sykes will compete once again on the world stage with Kawasaki machinery Eyes have already started to turn towards 2023 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship despite two rounds left of the 2022 season, and another piece of next year’s rider line-up has fallen into place. Making a return to WorldSBK after a year away, 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes will compete on Kawasaki machinery once again in WorldSBK after signing a deal to race for Independent team Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. Sykes made his WorldSBK debut in 2008 as a wildcard at Brands Hatch and Donington Park, taking points in all three races and scoring a podium at Donington with second place. Earning a full-time seat for 2009, Sykes was immediately in the top ten of the Championship as he took ninth overall before he took the first of his record-breaking 51 pole positions in 2010 in his first season with the Kawasaki Racing Team. It was this team that would help Sykes to his WorldSBK success with his first win in 2011, at the Nurburgring, and he finished runner-up in the 2012 season by just 0.5 points to Aprilia’s Max Biaggi. 18 podiums from 27 races, including nine wins, helped propel Sykes to the 2013 Championship and he narrowly missed out on back-to-back titles as Sylvain Guintoli took the 2014 crown by six points ahead of Sykes. The poles, wins and podiums kept coming for Sykes and, by the time he left Kawasaki at the end of 2018, had taken 34 wins for the Japanese manufacturer. A switch to the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team followed in 2019 and the Huddersfield-born rider took four podiums on his way to eighth in the Championship. Despite starting the 2020 season with pole position at Phillip Island, the 50th of his career, Sykes did not visit the rostrum that season although he did take two podiums in his final season with BMW in 2021; both at Donington Park. After a year competing with Ducati machinery in the British Superbike championship, Sykes will return to Kawasaki and WorldSBK for 2023 with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. It re-unites a rider and manufacturer combination that proved so successful in the past with Sykes finishing inside the top three of the Championship in every year from 2012 to 2017. Discussing his return to WorldSBK, Sykes said: “I’m really happy to be joining Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and returning to the WorldSBK paddock. For years, I’ve been impressed by the way in which Manuel Puccetti manages his team and by the mentality with which he goes racing, as well as the team’s infrastructure of course. All aspects that mean I’m highly motivated ahead of the 2023 racing season. I also have another opportunity, in that I’ll be part of the Kawasaki family once more, building on a relationship that has always been very solid. I can’t wait to get started on this project and get to know the whole team.” Manuel Puccetti added: “It’s truly a great pleasure for me and the team to welcome a World Champion like Tom Sykes. I’m sure that, together, we can learn and grow, also harnessing his significant testing experience to make our Ninja even more competitive. With a rider of his calibre, our goal can be nothing less than top five. We have already arranged a test schedule, starting in Jerez in December, when we will start to mould our Ninja around Tom. We will then continue with tests in the wind tunnel and further track tests in January. The entire team is very excited to welcome a top rider like Tom. I also want to thank Lucas Mahias for the four years we have spent together. We enjoyed success and satisfaction in Supersport while in Superbike, despite a positive performance overall, we had to deal with some injuries that prevented us from achieving the kind of results he and our team deserved. We wish Lucas all the very best for a bright future.”
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Post by truenorth on Nov 10, 2022 6:31:21 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:46:24 GMT -8
SBK FP1 1 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'36.938 12 159,727 279,1 2 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'37.127 0.189 0.189 18 159,416 283,5 3 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'37.509 0.571 0.382 19 158,791 287,2 4 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'37.719 0.781 0.210 14 158,450 279,8 5 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'37.882 0.944 0.163 17 158,186 287,2 6 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'37.913 0.975 0.031 14 158,136 280,5 7 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'37.932 0.994 0.019 15 158,106 281,3 8 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'37.965 1.027 0.033 13 158,052 280,5 9 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'38.052 1.114 0.087 15 157,912 282,7 10 11 K. SMITH GBR TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'38.114 1.176 0.062 18 157,812 274,8 11 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'38.694 1.756 0.580 13 156,885 282,0 12 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'38.697 1.759 0.003 15 156,880 275,5 13 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'38.849 1.911 0.152 14 156,639 282,0 14 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'38.869 1.931 0.020 14 156,607 280,5 15 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'39.004 2.066 0.135 14 156,394 273,4 16 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'39.147 2.209 0.143 15 156,168 277,6 17 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'39.360 2.422 0.213 19 155,833 276,9 18 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'39.444 2.506 0.084 18 155,702 280,5 19 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'39.749 2.811 0.305 18 155,226 278,4 20 12 X. FORES ESP BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'39.754 2.816 0.005 17 155,218 279,8 21 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'40.704 3.766 0.950 17 153,754 275,5 22 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'41.630 4.692 0.926 18 152,353 284,2
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:47:09 GMT -8
SBK FP2 1 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'33.626 24 165,377 285,7 2 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'34.088 0.462 0.462 26 164,565 282,7 3 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'34.590 0.964 0.502 18 163,692 283,5 4 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'34.595 0.969 0.005 16 163,683 282,7 5 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'34.843 1.217 0.248 20 163,255 281,3 6 12 X. FORES ESP BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'34.871 1.245 0.028 21 163,207 280,5 7 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'34.941 1.315 0.070 23 163,087 283,5 8 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'35.022 1.396 0.081 20 162,948 288,8 9 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'35.139 1.513 0.117 19 162,747 284,2 10 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'35.213 1.587 0.074 20 162,621 282,7 11 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'35.265 1.639 0.052 21 162,532 283,5 12 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'35.414 1.788 0.149 18 162,278 277,6 13 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'35.610 1.984 0.196 17 161,945 282,0 14 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'35.766 2.140 0.156 4 161,682 284,2 15 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'36.331 2.705 0.565 18 160,733 282,0 16 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'36.948 3.322 0.617 17 159,710 286,5 17 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'37.088 3.462 0.140 18 159,480 277,6 18 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'37.156 3.530 0.068 21 159,368 282,7 19 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'37.346 3.720 0.190 20 159,057 283,5 20 11 K. SMITH GBR TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'37.790 4.164 0.444 17 158,335 272,0 21 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'38.249 4.623 0.459 2 157,595 279,1 ----------------- Out 105% in this Session ----------------- 22 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'39.095 5.469 0.846 16 156,250 276,9
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:47:55 GMT -8
SSP FP1 1 62 S. MANZI ITA Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'42.090 17 151,666 244,3 2 9 S. JESPERSEN DEN Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'42.307 0.217 0.217 19 151,344 243,2 3 64 F. CARICASULO ITA Althea Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'42.347 0.257 0.040 14 151,285 244,9 4 55 Y. MONTELLA ITA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.658 0.568 0.311 20 150,827 243,8 5 61 C. ONCU TUR Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.962 0.872 0.304 20 150,382 243,8 6 56 P. SEBESTYEN HUN Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'43.221 1.131 0.259 18 150,004 244,9 7 99 A. HUERTAS ESP MTM Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'43.235 1.145 0.014 14 149,984 241,1 8 16 J. CLUZEL FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'43.236 1.146 0.001 10 149,983 244,3 9 38 H. SOOMER EST Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'43.304 1.214 0.068 19 149,884 245,5 10 3 R. DE ROSA ITA Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP Ducati Panigale V2 1'43.685 1.595 0.381 12 149,333 243,8 11 11 N. BULEGA ITA Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'43.871 1.781 0.186 19 149,066 245,5 12 10 U. ORRADRE ESP MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.041 1.951 0.170 15 148,822 244,3 13 7 L. BALDASSARRI ITA Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.092 2.002 0.051 16 148,749 242,7 14 66 N. TUULI FIN MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR 1'44.241 2.151 0.149 14 148,537 245,5 15 77 D. AEGERTER SUI Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.247 2.157 0.006 12 148,528 242,7 16 25 M. BRENNER SUI VFT Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.451 2.361 0.204 18 148,238 240,5 17 28 G. VAN STRAALEN NED EAB Racing Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.720 2.630 0.269 18 147,857 246,6 18 50 O. VOSTATEK CZE MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.741 2.651 0.021 17 147,827 241,6 19 32 O. BAYLISS AUS BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'45.055 2.965 0.314 20 147,386 245,5 20 69 T. BOOTH-AMOS GBR Motozoo Racing by Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.060 2.970 0.005 17 147,379 241,1 21 94 A. VERDOIA FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'45.545 3.455 0.485 11 146,701 242,2 22 24 L. TACCINI ITA Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'45.837 3.747 0.292 12 146,297 243,2 23 91 L. BERNARDI SMR CM Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'46.000 3.910 0.163 15 146,072 240,0
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:48:42 GMT -8
SSP FP2 1 11 N. BULEGA ITA Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'38.004 19 157,989 246,0 2 3 R. DE ROSA ITA Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP Ducati Panigale V2 1'38.227 0.223 0.223 13 157,631 248,3 3 64 F. CARICASULO ITA Althea Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'38.249 0.245 0.022 11 157,595 247,7 4 55 Y. MONTELLA ITA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'38.295 0.291 0.046 15 157,522 246,6 5 66 N. TUULI FIN MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR 1'38.345 0.341 0.050 16 157,442 246,6 6 62 S. MANZI ITA Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'38.568 0.564 0.223 21 157,085 246,0 7 28 G. VAN STRAALEN NED EAB Racing Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'38.702 0.698 0.134 17 156,872 246,0 8 7 L. BALDASSARRI ITA Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'38.839 0.835 0.137 20 156,655 247,7 9 77 D. AEGERTER SUI Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'38.912 0.908 0.073 18 156,539 244,3 10 61 C. ONCU TUR Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'39.321 1.317 0.409 22 155,895 245,5 11 94 A. VERDOIA FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'39.362 1.358 0.041 20 155,830 247,7 12 9 S. JESPERSEN DEN Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'39.488 1.484 0.126 19 155,633 247,1 13 16 J. CLUZEL FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'39.707 1.703 0.219 18 155,291 243,8 14 56 P. SEBESTYEN HUN Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'39.801 1.797 0.094 20 155,145 247,1 15 99 A. HUERTAS ESP MTM Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'40.014 2.010 0.213 10 154,814 242,7 16 10 U. ORRADRE ESP MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'40.156 2.152 0.142 19 154,595 246,0 17 38 H. SOOMER EST Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'40.174 2.170 0.018 18 154,567 246,6 18 69 T. BOOTH-AMOS GBR Motozoo Racing by Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'40.208 2.204 0.034 15 154,515 242,2 19 32 O. BAYLISS AUS BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'40.607 2.603 0.399 20 153,902 246,6 20 91 L. BERNARDI SMR CM Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'40.889 2.885 0.282 16 153,472 245,5 21 25 M. BRENNER SUI VFT Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'41.318 3.314 0.429 18 152,822 240,5 22 50 O. VOSTATEK CZE MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'41.937 3.933 0.619 18 151,894 243,2 23 24 L. TACCINI ITA Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'42.589 4.585 0.652 19 150,928 245,5
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:51:07 GMT -8
Bautista blasts clear at Mandalika on Day 1, two red flags in FP2 Friday, 11 November 2022 Four Ducatis in the top nine and the Championship leader on top, could Mandalika be painted red? The first day of action at the Pirelli Indonesian Round is done and dusted at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit for the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. After tricky track conditions in the morning, things were much better in the afternoon, although two red flags were shown for separate crashes. At the end of the first day, it was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who stormed to the top, the only rider able to get into the 1’33s on day one of action. A LATE CHARGE: Bautista to P1, Razgatlioglu in contention A late charge up the order at the end of FP2 saw Alvaro Bautista take top spot after day one at Mandalika. The Championship leader, who can clinch the title in Race 1, bolted in a 1’33.626 on his penultimate flying lap and sported a 0.462s advantage over the next rider. Bautista was the first of four Ducati riders inside the top nine places, making it a strong day for the Italian manufacturer. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third and enjoyed a positive first day of action in Indonesia. Ducati can likewise clinch the manufacturers’ Championship this weekend and with strong race pace and one-lap pace, with them featuring at least once in the top three of all the sectors, it could be a strong weekend for the Italian manufacturer. Like in FP1, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was in fine form in FP2 in the afternoon as he laid down the gauntlet and took nearly three seconds off of his time from the morning. With track conditions improving drastically from FP1, times tumbled right the way through the order and had a comfortable three tenths of a second advantage over his rivals for much of the afternoon running before finishing second. Alongside him at factory Yamaha, Andrea Locatelli didn’t feature inside the top ten for most of the session but went as high as seventh with less than 90 seconds to go. KAWASAKI’S DAY 1: are they in trouble with the heat? Fourth place in the running was Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who returned to Mandalika after his mighty double in 2021. Aiming to end his win drought that goes back to Estoril, Rea had a moment early in the session at Turn 3 but managed to save it and set a time good enough for fourth and top Kawasaki honours. It was a slightly more difficult for teammate Alex Lowes, who could only manage 11th. At times throughout 2022, Kawasaki have struggled to be at their best when the heat is up and with track temperatures into the 60 degrees Celsius, it could be a factor. Throughout the sector times, no Kawasaki featured inside the top three. FURTHER BACK: Lecuona suffers mighty crash, three Independents in the top nine It was a mixed day for the factory Honda outfit in Indonesia; a second red-flag came out after a huge highside for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). The Spaniard lost the rear as he made the direction change from right to left at Turn 3, flinging him into the air and him landing heavily on his right leg. After being down for some time, the Valencian rookie – who is at Mandalika for the first time in his career – was able to walk away, albeit aided by trackside marshals; he was taken to the Medical Centre for a check-up and finished the day in P14. Teammate Xavi Vierge had a far better afternoon and made bigger gains throughout the session, placing in P8 at the end. There were three Independent riders inside the top ten, the first of which was American rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). The Texan achieved a top six finish in 2021 at the circuit as well as a second row starting slot and hopes to achieve at the least the same this year. 1.2s behind Bautista, he was just 0.028s ahead of sixth-placed Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team), with the Spanish rider showing what he’s capable of as he is back in action for his second round aboard Marco Barnabo’s Ducati. In ninth and the fourth of the Ducatis in the top nine, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was just over 1.5s off Bautista, although he has the chance to seal the Best Independent Rider award for 2022 in Race 1. The only Ducati outside the top ten was Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) in P13. BMW HEAD THE REST: Redding best of the rest in P10 Five manufacturers were in the top ten and it was Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who took BMW inside the top ten; the British rider was just under 1.6s away from Bautista and couldn’t get into the 1’34s. His teammate Michael van der Mark finished the day in 14th position, although the Dutchman was high in fourth following a jumbled up FP1. Both will look to make gains throughout the rest of the weekend. As for the rest of the field, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was in 12th on his Mandalika debut, as he puts himself in the shop window for a ride in 2023 following the confirmation that 2013 Champion Tom Sykes will replace him at Puccetti Kawasaki next year. Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) took 16th but suffered a highside at Turn 2, although he was OK and up on his feet. Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 17th ahead of Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), who endured one of his hardest days of 2022 as he was only 17th in FP1 too. Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) took 19th, ahead of an impressive debut for Kyle Smith (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 20th. Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 21st after suffering a highside at Turn 7 which brought out the first red flag of the session and was taken to the Medical Centre. Completing the order, Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 22nd. Top six after day one of WorldSBK action at Mandalika, full results here: 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.626s 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.462s 3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.964s 4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.969s 5. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.217s 6. Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) +1.245s
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Post by truenorth on Nov 11, 2022 5:56:32 GMT -8
Lecuona declared unfit after FP2 highside at Mandalika Friday, 11 November 2022 The Spanish rookie will take no further part in the Pirelli Indonesian Round after sustaining a vertebrae fracture, as well as a sacrum fracture The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has landed in Indonesia for the Pirelli Indonesian Round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, but bad news has hit the Team HRC squad. Following a crash in FP2, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) has been declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend, with the Valencian rider ruled out with a stable fracture of the T12 vertebrae and a fracture of the left side of the sacrum (located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae and that is connected to the pelvis). No neurological damage was found. As track conditions offering more grip than it had in FP1, times immediately begun to tumble in FP2, with Lecuona in third when he highsided on the direction change between Turn 2 and Turn 3. Lecuona was taken to the Medical Centre for an initial medical assessment and was later airlifted to the RSUD Provinsi NTB Hospital in Mataram for further tests. Following CT and MRI scans, doctors have diagnosed a stable fracture of the T12 vertebra (with no neurological damage) as well as a fracture to the left side of the sacrum. With no need for stabilization surgery, Lecuona has already been discharged from the hospital and will now rest and begin conservative treatment. Lecuona is a rookie in 2022 and has been enjoying a stellar season, with a highlight of a podium coming earlier on in the year during round two at Assen, in just his sixth race in WorldSBK. He’s been a consistent top ten performer and is eighth in the Championship – 17 points behind Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and 17 ahead of Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Honda’s hopes for the remainder of the round now lie with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who was eighth on day one at Mandalika. Honda had brought a new item for the weekend as part of their super concession allocation, allowing them more parameters to work within for the geometry of the bike.
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